Tuesday 30 August 2005/... ArenaNetÂ®, creators of the number one selling competitive online roleplaying game Guild WarsÂ®, and NCsoftÂ® Europe announces the release of the much-anticipated Guild Wars update: Sorrow's Furnace. To be released on 7th September 2005, the update will be available free to all Guild Wars account holders and will stream to them live at game log-in.

Sorrow's Furnace offers two large, explorable regions: Grenth's Footprint and Sorrow's Furnace. These regions will provide exciting new high-level content to Guild Wars players and will offer new quests, new monsters, new items and more. For characters who have completed their ascension in Guild Wars, these areas will provide new opportunities for exploration and reward.

Guild Wars is a competitive online roleplaying game that rewards player skill more than time played. Players explore a rich fantasy game world, acquire skills, build personalised characters and compete in head-to-head guild battles with players from around the world.

In addition, DirectSong will simultaneously release new music for Sorrow's Furnace. DirectSong, the world's first official music expansion service, will offer a Sorrow's Furnace music Mini-Pak free of charge to all Guild Wars account holders who register at their website: www.directsong.com. The Mini-Pak also features a preview of Guild Wars Battle Pak 1, the first full music upgrade announced for Guild Wars, available at the end of September.

More information about Guild Wars and Sorrow's Furnace can be found at htp://www.guildwars.com.